Photo Flash: First Look at Feathered Beasts in WALKING WITH DINOSAURS Arena Show

Dinosaurs once again roam the earth when the spectacular production, WALKING WITH DINOSAURS THE ARENA SPECTACULAR, based on the award-winning BBC Television Series, returns to North America. WALKING WITH DINOSAURS THE ARENA SPECTACULAR will be performed at Honda Center from a limited eight-performance engagement from Wednesday, September 3 to Sunday, September 7 and STAPLES Center for a limited eight-performance engagement from Thursday, September 11 to Sunday, September 15. Check out new photos of the show's feathered dinosaurs below!

This updated production will showcase changes to the dinosaurs based on the latest scientific research including the likely feathering of some species. Worldwide, more than eight million people have seen this show in 243 cities and over 2,000 performances. WALKING WITH DINOSAURS THE ARENA SPECTACULAR is produced by Global Creatures headed by CEO Carmen Pavlovic.

The show depicts the dinosaurs' evolution with almost cinematic realism. WALKING WITH DINOSAURS THE ARENA SPECTACULAR has scenes of the interactions between dinosaurs, how carnivorous dinosaurs evolved to walk on two legs, and how the herbivores fended off their more agile predators.

Ten species are represented from the entire 200 million year reign of the dinosaurs. The show includes the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the terror of the ancient terrain, as well as the Plateosaurus and Liliensternus from the Triassic period, the Stegosaurus and Allosaurus from the Jurassic period and Torosaurus and Utahraptor from the awesome Cretaceous period. The largest of them, the Brachiosaurus is 36 feet tall, and 56 feet from nose to tail. It took a team of 50 -- including engineers, fabricators, skin makers, artists and painters, and animatronic experts - a year to build the production.

The history of the world is played out with the splitting of the earth's continents, and the transition from the arid desert of the Triassic period is given over to the lush green prairies and forces of the later Jurassic. Oceans form, volcanoes erupt, a forest catches fire -- all leading to the impact of the massive comet, which struck the earth, and forced the extinction of the dinosaurs.

The show originated in Australia, where after years of planning, WALKING WITH DINOSAURS THE ARENA SPECTACULAR came to life at Sydney's Acer Arena in January 2007. The 20 dinosaurs were originally "hatched" by Sonny Tilders, the head of creature design at Creature Technology Company in a Melbourne Docklands workshop big enough to park a 747.

The show proved itself such a sensation, that the North American tour was fast-tracked, where it quickly became one of the leading arena attractions. The only building large enough to house rehearsals for the dinosaurs -- some as large as 36 ft tall by 56 ft long -- was the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center! Soon after, WALKING WITH DINOSAURS THE ARENA SPECTACULAR went onto conquer Europe and Asia.

During its North American tour (2007-2010), the production won the THEA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Touring Event and the Billboard Touring Award for Creative Content as well as the Pollstar Concert Industry Award for Most Creative Stage Production and the ILMC Arthur Award for Best in Show. The THEAs recognize excellence in the creation of compelling educational, historical, and entertainment projects; and both the Billboard Touring Award and the Pollstar Concert Industry Award recognize a show or tour that creatively expands what is offered on the road. The ILMC (International Live Music Conference) Arthur Award for Best in Show recognizes theatre shows and family entertainment.

Artistic Director William May developed the creative vision of the show based on an original idea by entrepreneur Bruce Mactaggart to create an arena version of the Walking with Dinosaurs television series.

A talented and experienced team of creative artists came together to produce WALKING WITH DINOSAURS THE ARENA SPECTACULAR. The show is directed by Scott Faris, a Broadway veteran who directed Michael Crawford in EFX at MGM Grand Hotel, which at the time was the biggest stage production ever conceived and was on the production team that created Siegfried & Roy at the Mirage Hotel. Faris directed Chicago the Musical in 16 countries and William Shatner's Broadway show Shatner's World, as well was resident director on the Broadway productions of LES MISERABLES, Cabaret, Cats, and Grease and a directing consultant for Cirque du Soleil. He directed Bette Midler in The Showgirl Must Go On at Caesars Palace Las Vegas and George Lucas Super Live Adventure in Japan.

The creatures are designed and built by Sonny Tilders; the set and projected image design are by Peter England; the show's lighting is by John Rayment, the score was composed by James Brett; and Warner Brown wrote the script.

Tim Haines, creator and producer of the original BBC series, which was seen by a worldwide audience of 700 million, serves as Project Consultant to WALKING WITH DINOSAURS THE ARENA SPECTACULAR. The series won six Emmy and three BAFTA Awards.

Tickets go on sale Friday, April 11 at 12:00 p.m. For Honda Center, visit ticketmaster.com, or call 800-745-3000. Tickets will be available to purchase at the Honda Center box office beginning Saturday, April 12 at 10:00 a.m. For STAPLES Center, visit axs.com or call 888-929-7849. WALKING WITH DINOSAURS -- THE ARENA SPECTACULAR was originally produced in Australia by Gerry Ryan, Malcolm Cooke and Jill Bryant and is brought to the world by Global Creatures. For more information, visit www.dinosaurlive.com.

Photo Credit: Patrick Murphy

To post a comment, you must register and login.